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CORVALLIS, Ore. – Over the past three weeks, ArizonaState has had three opportunities to record a sixth victory, which would secure bowl eligibility.

The Sun Devils have come up empty each time.

The first two times, ASU had trouble defensively. On Saturday night at No. 11 Oregon State, the Sun Devils struggled on both sides, losing 36-26 to the Beavers in front of 45,970 at Reser Stadium.

In the process, ASU’s chances to win the Pac-12 South took a significant hit. The Sun Devils, dropping their third in a row, fell to 5-4 and 3-3 in the conference, a game behind leader UCLA. But the Bruins also hold a tiebreaker, as they defeated the Sun Devils on Oct. 27.

“Not much you can say other than we get our butt whipped,” ASU coach Todd Graham said.

OregonState improved to 7-1 and 5-1, keeping its hopes of playing in a BCS bowl alive.

The Beavers entered the game with the nation’s fifth-best rushing defense and the 12th-best scoring defense. They struggled at times in the first half but came together to stop the Sun Devils in the second half.

“We didn’t play well at all in the first half,” OregonState defensive end Scott Crichton said. “Not much was said; it was just a group effort to be better and pick it up in the second half.”

ASU, boosted by the return of star defensive tackle Will Sutton, battled to a 19-19 first-half tie. But things quickly fell apart from there. The offense went nowhere, the defense fell apart.

“There were two mistakes on defense that were just absolutely blown coverages we really haven’t had all year long,” Graham said.

ASU had a chance to make it a game late in the third quarter. Trailing 29-19, the Sun Devils drove 55 yards to the OregonState 20-yard line, but Jon Mora missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt.

Two series later, OregonState’s Cody Vaz hit Brandin Cooks for a 49-yard touchdown pass, putting the Beavers up 36-19 with 10:54 to go in the game.

“We could not do anything offensively the second half,” Graham said. “We couldn’t get anything going.”

Sophomore Taylor Kelly struggled, completing 22 of 41 for 153 yards with a touchdown and interception. He rushed for a team-high 80 yards. ASU’s top playmakers – freshman D.J. Foster and junior Marion Grice – also were quiet.

“They were just sound (defensively),” said senior running back Cameron Marshall, who rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown. “They were all over the ball, and they were all in the right spots.”

Vaz wasn’t sharp, but he made big plays. He threw touchdown passes of 50, 17 and 49 yards. Terron Ward rushed for 146 yards, 53 coming on a touchdown run in the second quarter. Receiver Markus Wheaton, a Chandler High product, had four catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed three times for 57 yards.

“(ASU) put a lot of heat on us, but I’m really proud of how Cody hung in there and made the plays to win the game,” OregonState coach Mike Riley said.

ASU got a boost from Sutton, who played for the first time since injuring his knee against Oregon on Oct. 18. Before leaving Tempe, Graham said he thought Sutton, who ranks among the nation’s leaders in quarterback sacks, might play 75 percent of the snaps. Sutton did that, and more.

He forced a fumble on OregonState’s first series. Junior defensive end Junior Onyeali picked up the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

“Really, really proud of Will Sutton,’’ Graham said. “The way he played tonight, to come back that quickly, he’s a warrior.”

After leaving the previous two games because of a shoulder injury, Onyeali also was back on the field. But he was flagged for roughing the passer in the second quarter – a mistake that kept alive an OregonState drive – and Graham kept him on the sideline for most of the second half.

“He felt like he pulled off, but you can’t get those,’’ Graham said. “And when you start getting them, then you start getting them every week.”

ASU’s road doesn’t get easier from here. On Saturday, the Sun Devils visit No. 17 USC. After a home game against WashingtonState, they’ll close out the regular season at rival Arizona.

“We’re disappointed, but … when stuff hits the fan, this is the time when we’re going to pull together,” Kelly said.

Graham agrees.

“Obviously, you (lose) three games in a row you get a lot of criticism,’’ he said. “That’s the way life is. But I believe in this team, I believe in our staff. I believe in what we’re doing. I know we have made tremendous progress in every area. … We’re going to keep fighting.”

Quarter-by-quarter rewind

First quarter: Arizona State showed in the opening series just how valuable defensive tackle Will Sutton is. His pressure helped contribute to a fumble by Oregon State quarterback Cody Vaz in the end zone, and the Sun Devils took an early 7-0 lead. The Beavers responded with a quick march down the field, thanks to Markus Wheaton’s 35-yard run, capping the drive with a 41-yard field goal. ASU wasn’t done and soon found itself back in the end zone thanks to Cameron Marshall’s 1-yard dive up the middle that made it 14-3. The drive was aided by a 17-yard run by Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly. And the ping-pong match continued. Oregon State was back at it and scored on a 50-yard pass from Vaz to Wheaton to cut the Sun Devils’ lead to 14-10. ASU added two more points when Kevin Ayers blocked a punt in the end zone.

Second quarter: The Sun Devils increased their lead to 19-10 early in the second quarter with a 31-yard field goal by Jon Mora. It was no surprise, though, when the Beavers once again showed their offensive firepower. They drove 65 yards in 1:17, highlighted by Terron Ward’s 53-yard sprint into the end zone. Oregon State missed the extra-point attempt but still cut ASU’s lead to three. The Beavers added a 45-yard field as time expired to knot the score at 19.

Third quarter: ASU struggled to find its offensive footing, but Oregon State didn’t. The Beavers took a 26-19 lead with 11:29 remaining when Vaz and Wheaton connected again, this time on a 17-yard pass to the corner of the end zone. They added three on a 33-yard field goal by Trevor Romaine. The Sun Devils had an opportunity to cut Oregon State’s lead but Mora missed a 37-yard attempt.

Fourth quarter: ASU looked overmatched for much of the quarter. The Beavers’ wide receivers dominated the Sun Devils secondary, and Oregon State was back on the board when Vaz found Brandin Cooks for a 49-yard scoring play to give their team a 36-19 lead.

Key player: Wheaton. The former Chandler High standout caught four passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed three times for 57 yards.

Key moment: Vaz’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Wheaton, which put the Beavers up 26-19 in the third quarter, appeared to suck the life out of the Sun Devils.

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